An Industrial Experiment on the Waterfront
Local entrepreneur James M. Colman introduces a new technology to protect wharf pilings from the destructive 'teredo' wood-boring worm.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
James M. Colman is starting a new industry near the gas works on ground leased from Mrs. Sarah M. Renton. He is installing machinery to creosote piles to prevent the ravages of the teredo, a wood-boring worm. By using a steam boiler and two 80-foot iron cylinders, he dries the sap from the wood and injects coal tar, a process that promises to significantly increase the durability of wharves on the Sound. Mr. Colman intends to prepare a thousand piles this season, testing a process that could be of great benefit to the entire waterfront.
“This apparatus, which was gotten up under Mr. Colman's directions, has already cost several thousand dollars, but this will prove to be money well expended if his experiment proves a success.”
James M. Colman was a titan of Seattle's early maritime and railroad infrastructure. His attempt to solve the 'teredo' problem reflects the constant struggle of a port city to maintain its wooden foundations against the saltwater environment.
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